A protective cheetah mother keeps a watchful eye over her young cubs, scanning for potential threats such as lions, leopards and hyenas. Once she knew it was safe, she dropped them at the edge of a pool to drink, remaining a reassuring presence over them.

Despite being the fastest animal on land, capable of reaching speeds of up to 130 kilometers an hour, the big cat is an endangered species. These photographs were taken by wildlife photographer Kevin Dooley at the Onguma Game Reserve in Namibia, southwestern Africa.

(All images via VCG)

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